Dauntless Affection
by spobydelights
Summary: Jo Bennett, the third person from Abnegation to transfer to Dauntless, is determined to make it through initiation. Will she make it through unscathed or catch the eye of a malicious Dauntless leader? Rated M/MA for language and adult themesss.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey, its spobydelights! I decided to make a story about Eric and an OC, how original lol. I just thought it would be fun to write this so here I am. This story is not related to my other story, Until the End, but i reccommend you read it ;)_

_I do not own divergent & this takes place the year after Tris' initiation. There was no war._

* * *

Today is the day. The choosing ceremony. I can feel the nervous jitters all through my body. I already know what I will choose, I've known since I was a little girl, but I'm still a bit anxious.

"Josephine, your breakfast is ready," my mother says quietly. Abnegation doesn't necessarily have a ban on talking loudly but it's you're not supposed to draw attention to yourself.

One of the reasons that I'm sure I don't belong here. I'm not at all conceited, but I don't think my beauty should be restricted for selflessness. I am tall and skinny, with brown skin and black, wild curly hair. My appearance alone brings attention to itself. Hiding behind grey robes and pulled back hair to focus more on being selfless, in my eyes, doesn't make an ounce of sense.

I finish pinning my hair up and quietly join my parents and brother, Jonathan. His choosing ceremony was last year, and he stayed true to his Abnegation roots. We eat toast and eggs, a plain Abnegation breakfast. We don't really talk much, an awkward silence fallen upon us.

_They know_. They know that I am not going to choose Abnegation. All my life I have struggled with selflessness, and it isn't a secret.

My brother & I clear the table and wash the dishes. Soon, my mother says that it's time to go so that we won't be late. We walk to the building in which the choosing ceremony will be held, our heads slightly bowed. On the way there I can't help but fantasize about how I would soon be free. How I would soon run amuck with the other Dauntless, dressed in black and lathered in tattoos.

I couldn't wait.

Ever since I was little girl, I secretly admired the Dauntless at school. The girls were always so beautiful yet tough, while the boys were masculine and handsome. They'd run around, falling off trains and play fighting each other, not caring about drawing attention to themselves. Their colorful hair and tattoos were also something to be envious of. They got to show off their creativity just by there appearance. Of course, I've heard that rumors that Dauntless is the most brutal faction of all, but I could care less. I belonged there; my aptitude test said so.

* * *

The ceremony went by just as fast as it came. Johanna Reyes, the Amity representative, gave the annual speech and commenced calling the names of the sixteen year olds in the city. Since my last name was Bennett, I was at the back of the list.

"Corey Bush," Johanna called out. I watched as a Candor born made his way to the stage and sliced his hand. He didn't even hesitate before putting his hands over the coals. The Dauntless roared in greeting to him as he made his way to sit down.  
"Josephine Bennett," Johanna called my name. I walk up to the podium, my heart thumping in my chest. No, I didn't want to leave my family but this had to be done. I'm selfless, I'm brave. I slice my hand and let my blood sizzle onto the coals. I am Dauntless.

I hear the audience gasp. There have only been two other Abnegation to transfer to Dauntless. From what I've heard, they both passed with flying colors. I rush over to where the mass of black is sitting, not looking back at my family. I don't want to see the disappointment in their faces. The Dauntless welcome me with shouts and stomping of the feet. The ceremony finishes up and soon we're running outside the doors.

"We're going to jump onto the trains, I know it," an Erudite transfer says behind me. Not long after, the trains come into view. I jump on, stumbling a little but managing not to fall.

I turn around see that the Erudite who predicted the trains got on behind me. She's a bit shorter than me, with brown hair cut into a shoulder length bob and pale skin. Her nose is straight and her lips are full; she is gorgeous. She smiles at me, "I'm Emma, you?"

Now is the time to start my new identity. Abnegation is gone and Dauntless is in. Josephine is not a name I would associate with Dauntless. "My name is Jo." We shake hands. It's a bit awkward but we have time to work on it now that we're in Dauntless.

"And I'm Kirk," another Erudite transfer chimes in. He's very tall and boyishly handsome with brown loose curls all over his head. He puts his arm around Emma's shoulder and smiles down at her. She rolls her eyes and playfully pushes his arm off.

"Yeah, he's Kirk. The most annoying boy ever," she says smiling sarcastically at him.

"Admit it, you're in love with me. I am beyond handsome." He strikes a pose and we all laugh at him. I can tell these two are good friends from their old faction. I can also tell that I'll get along well with them.

We sit down on the floor of the train, talking about what we think the initiation will throw at us. We chat until we notice that the Dauntless born are throwing themselves out the train and onto the roof. It doesn't take a genius to realize that we have to jump off as a part of initiation. Kirk goes first, Emma and I following. We all land gracelessly on the roof, laughing as we get up, wiping gravel off of us. Our joyful mood is cut short when a deep, piercing voice reaches our ears.

"Initiates, listen up!"

The voice belongs to a man who looks incredibly Dauntless. He's standing on the ledge next to an older man with dark-skin. I barely notice the elder because I am too busy focusing on the mysterious stranger. He has tattoos going up his neck and muscles visible even through his leather jacket. His blonde hair is cut on the sides and pushed back on the top. When I focus on his face, I realize he is very handsome. Attractive, if I do say so myself. He meets my gaze and stares back at me, his eyes icily cold. He's probably wondering why another Abnegation would transfer here. He's probably already counting on my failure. I don't look away though, suddenly feeling brave. He challengingly raises an eyebrow and I finally back down.

"My name is Eric and I'm one of the Dauntless leaders," he says his voice booming. I note that he looks pretty young to be a leader, but keep it to myself. "You've all chosen Dauntless and made it this far. To continue your initiation, you must jump off this building into the unknown. Any volunteers?" There is complete silence and his face contorts into an evil smirk. I can already tell that he'll make our lives hell.

"No?" Everyone still remains quiet. "Okay, how about the Stiff." It takes me a moment to realize that he's talking about me.

I make my way up there and stand on the ledge. I look over and see that theres a hole. I turn back around and face the group.

"Second guessing your choice of Dauntless, Stiff?" he asks.

"No. I just wanted to tell you that my name is Jo and I am not a stiff." I don't know where that surge of braveness came from, but I know it probably just got me in trouble. I'm too scared to even look at his face so I jump.

I am caught by a net.

A blonde petite girl reaches out to help me off. When I stand up, she looks at my Abnegation clothing and I swear I see her smile a bit. "Your name is?" She questions.

"Josephine, I mean Jo," I stutter out. She raises an eyebrow at me and I feel like an idiot for not coming across confident. "My name is Jo."

She nods to a guy standing beside her and he turns around. "First jumper, Jo!"  
A bunch of Dauntless yell and welcome me. I wait there until everyone comes down and joins me on the side.

"Initiates. Dauntless born go with Tris and Uriah, transfers stay with Christina and I."  
A bronze skinned boy, Uriah, and the blonde, Tris, lead the Dauntless born away. That must mean that the girl standing in front of us is Christina. She has brown skin and is gracefully tall. I immediately take notice of our strong resemblance in body type and realize that if she passed, than I could too.

The guy, whose name has yet to be revealed, leads us down a dark path. "This is the pit," he says. He isn't shouting but his voice is so strong you would think he is. "This is the life of Dauntless, as you can see."

I look around and see shops and bars and various other places. The people are loud and rowdy, enjoying themselves. I can already picture myself loving the energy of Dauntless, being rowdy myself.

The guy leads us to a waterfall that has jagged rocks at the bottom. There is a railing separating us from it but if you happen to fall, there's an instant death awaiting you. I shiver thinking about how painful that must be. I look around and see the other five transfer initiates with wide eyes also.

"This is the chasm. It reminds us of the thin line between bravery and idiocracy. Jump off and you jump to your death," Christina says plainly. She looks over to the guy and he nods.

Christina leads the group to a dining hall and opens the door to reveal even more Dauntless members. They clap and cheer for us initiates, obviously proud we chose this faction. I am proud that I chose this faction too.

Christina and the guy walk off and go sit at a table with Uriah and Tris, who are in tears laughing. I smile at the sight, realizing how that after initiation that would be me.

Emma, Kirk, and I take a seat at a vacant table. At the table, there are foods being passed around, none of which I know the names of. Two Dauntless born girls sit next to us and quickly introduce themselves.

"I'm Tara and this is Olive," the blonde one says. Her friend Olive is actually olive-skinned with raven black hair. "We'd sit with the Dauntless born but there's no more seats available."

"Ah, so we're your second choice. Fantastic," Kirk says jokingly.

"Yeah, but you should be flattered we're even talking to you guys," Olive says back. Kirk and Olive engage in a playful banter while I eat something flavorful called a hamburger.

For some reason, the dining hall goes quiet and I turn around and see the reason. Eric, the Dauntless leader, has arrived and everyone seemed to quiet down at his presence. I guess he's just that well respected. I make eye contact with him as he passes our table and it takes all my might not to look away. He takes his seat at a table with the other two leaders, whose names I've been told are Max and Farrah. Soon the chatter continues, the effects of Eric's dramatic entrance worn off.

"That was intense," Emma says.

"Yeah, everything with Eric is intense. He's the Dauntless leader who scares the living shit out of everyone," Tara says looking back at his table.

"What about the guy who is in charge of the transfers? He seems pretty scary too," I say, my eyes still not leaving Eric's table. For some reason my eyes are drawn to him.

"Oh, Four? He's a Dauntless legend. First ranking Stiff from three years ago and has only Four fears, nearly impossible," Olive says. "His girlfriend, Tris, is pretty much a legend too. Six fears and first ranking Stiff of last year despite her small size."

I blink my eyes dumbly at her. I look at the table where those two are sitting. They are the other Abnegation who passed before me and they passed in first place. They don't really look like a couple but if you look closely, they're holding hands under the table. A gesture like that in Abnegation would mean that they're pretty serious but this is Dauntless. Maybe the codes of romance are different here.

"What about Eric?" I can't help but ask. He must have been ranked first in order to be a leader at a young age.

"Eh, he ranked second, after Four. Four turned the leadership down and Eric took it. But just because he was second doesn't mean he's any less respected," Tara chimes in. I nod and we all finish eating our meals.

Christina comes over to our table, "initiates, follow me and I will show you the dorms." She walks out without checking to see if we're following.

We wave goodbye to Tara and Olive and follow Christina out. The other three transfers, all Candor, don't even look our way. They obviously think they're above us. The thing is, I would expect that from an Erudite. I actually wouldn't expect Kirk and Emma to talk to me, with the bad blood between Abnegation and Erudite, but they do.

"This is the dorm, boys and girls sleep here. There are ten beds but only six of you made it off the trains and into the compound. The bathrooms are shared and lights go out at ten. I will be back tomorrow morning at seven to begin training," Christina explains.

"You guys better excel in training," says a new voice. A malicious voice. Eric. He leans against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest. I can't say that his muscles don't look good because ever through his jacket I can see them. "That is if you want to make it." I can see Christina roll her eyes at him out the corner of my eye.

"What do you mean?" asks one of the Candor boys. I think his name is Ian.

"I mean," Eric walks closer to Ian and towers over him. "We only accept the top ten initiates out of everyone. There are ten Dauntless born and six of you, do the math."  
Ian just looks down at his shoes.

We all realize that we are now in competition with each other. In a way, we will have to work harder than the Dauntless born because they're a little bit more prepared than us. Eric notices my worried expression and sort of smirks at me.

"If knowing that you'll be scored and possibly be cut scares you, maybe you're not Dauntless," Eric says out loud. I know he's directing it to me though. I just stare at the floor until he and Christina leave.

I pick the bed closest to the door and next to Emma, Kirk on the other side of her. I fall asleep, pep talking myself into surviving this initiation.

* * *

_Howd you like it? Be honest, review! please review it takes like two second lol ;)_


	2. Chapter 2

_This is chapter 1 & more from Eric's point of view, basically. I'm going to be switching point of views and going back in time. I'll try not to make it difficult to read but let me know if it is! _

* * *

**Eric**

* * *

"The initiates will be here in a few minutes, we need to be on the rooftop," Max says coolly. He leaves my office without another word and I'm thankful for that. He's always annoyed me a lot.

I pack up the book I was reading and pick up my leather jacket. _Time to scare the shit out of some sixteens year olds._ I don't why, but having people be afraid of you is not as bad as it seems. They respect you more seeing as they don't want to get on your bad side and they also will do anything you tell them.

As I climb the ladder that leads to the roof, I wonder what initiates we'll get this year. _Probably a bunch of wimps_. I don't even get my hopes up. Hell, I never hope at all because hope is for the weak.

I hear the train before I see it, the rattling of the tracks giving it away. Max stands next to me on the ledge, looking completely bored and I'm sure I have an identical expression. While I'd rather be somewhere else because I hate dealing with people, especially young teenagers, I'm sure he has a different reason. One that involves divergents.

For as long as I've been in leadership, Max and Jeanine Matthews of Erudite have been obsessed with hunting down divergents. They believe they're a threat to society because they don't conform to the normal way of thinking and acting. I believe that they're just jealous that someone could have equal levels of two factions characteristics in their systems. The fact that I have a leadership position is great because it slipped right under their noses that I might be one. _Which I am_. I received Erudite and Dauntless on my aptitude test but I didn't dare tell anyone. I trust no one enough to share that information with them. I help Jeanine and Max hunt these people down, off them, and stage it to look like an untimely death. It's completely hypocritical of me but I don't care. I didn't get Abnegation as an aptitude result. I am not selfless; I'd rather save my own ass than someone else's.

I see the first initiates throw themselves out of the train and onto the roof. They're Dauntless as expected. The train is going past quickly and I only see outfit colors. I see black, white, blue and... _grey? Another fucking Stiff in this faction?_ She rolls onto the gravel, her grey skirt tearing a bit. She laughs with her other two Erudite companions as if it were the best thing she ever did and she doesn't have to go on to face the most brutal initiation in the city. _Idiot_.

"Initiates," I say, loudly. All of their heads snap to the direction I'm in and there is complete silence. I take a minute to look each and everyone of them in their eyes, trying to instill fear in them.

When I look at the Stiff she is already looking back at me. Her eyes are searching my face and I realize she is checking me out. I hide the smirk that wants to appear on my face and stare straight back at her, my eyes cold and hard. She stares back for a few more seconds until I challengingly raise an eyebrow at her. She doesn't know who she's messing with and I am not particularly fond of Stiffs.

I give the yearly welcoming speech and dare the initiates to jump off the ledge to begin initiation. This year, no one volunteers to go first so I realize that I'll have to chose. My eyes immediately fly to the Stiff. If she was brave enough to have a staring contest with me than she should be brave enough for this. "Okay, how about the Stiff?"

She stands there for a moment and realizes that I'm talking about her. She makes her way to the ledge, not quickly but not slowly either. She stands on the ledge and looks over into the hole.

"Second guessing your choice of Dauntless, Stiff?" I question. I can tell she doesn't like the nickname that I've given her.

She turns around and faces me. "No, I just wanted to tell you that my name is Jo and I am not a stiff." I am stunned that she had the guts to talk back but by the time I can reply, she jumps down the hole. _I guess I'll get her back later._

* * *

I walk into Jeanine's office and sit down in the chair in front of her glass desk. She finally looks up from her work to acknowledge me.

"Eric, glad to see that you are cordial," she says arrogantly.

"Jeanine, I'm glad that you took note of my cordialness," I snap back at her. She just smiles coolly at me and starts looking through a file I brought her.

This is how it is all the time. I come for weekly meetings with her to ensure that divergent hunting is going along fine. I wait for her to look at the files and see if she finds anything suspicious, which I'm sure she wont. I'm not exactly searching for divergents and none are going to notify anyone if they are.

"Nothing that piques my interest. Are there any suspects in this initiate class?" she questions. I have to hold in my scoff.

"It's only the first day. Jumping off a roof doesn't exactly separate the divergents from the others," I say plainly.

She nods. "Well, return back when stage two commences. They can not hide then," she says and I know she has dismissed me. She goes back to reading something on her tablet.

I walk quickly out of her office and to the car sitting in front of the Erudite building. Jeanine insists that I be driven home since I take the trains there to meet her. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was actually considerate. But I do know better and I know she has surveillance in the car. For some reason, she is watching me.

A short while later, I reach the Dauntless compound. I hear shouts coming from the dining hall, meaning that the initiates are in there. I make my way there and when I enter everything goes quiet. As expected. I walk to the leaders table, my head held high. For some reason, my eyes land on the Stiff and I make eye contact with her. Much like last time, she doesn't look away. This girl must be really brave to keep silently challenging me like this. I take my seat next to Farrah, the other leader, and start eating my dinner.

"Someone has taken a liking to you," Farrah says. She gestures her head in the direction of the Stiff. "Or maybe she has a death wish," she laughs. I nod, seriously considering that it's the second option.

"She's pretty cute though," Farrah says suggestively. I roll my eyes. Farrah is the only person in the faction that isn't afraid of me besides Max and unfortunately the Stiffs. She's actually the only person I can remotely consider a friend. She always trying to get me to settle down with one woman, but that isn't my style. No one here is worthy of my loyalty, in my eyes.

Although Farrah is a couple of years older than me and has a long time boyfriend, I've heard rumors about a supposed romance between us. No one is bold enough to ask me if these accusations are true and they're lucky. I would no doubt punch them in the face for wrongly assuming.

"Come on, Eric, tell me she's not cute," Farrah pushes. I look back at the Stiff and realize that Farrah is correct.

The Stiff has smooth, brown skin and black hair that is wild and curly. She has full lips and chocolate irises. Undoubtedly, she is beautiful, but isn't my type. I prefer busty and curvy, where as she is thin and athletic.

"She's okay," I say and Farrah's eyes light up. "She isn't my type."

"Eric, you don't even have a type," Farrah says dramatically. She is my friend but at times I would like to punch her. Especially right now.

"I'm leaving," I say as I watch the initiates follow Christina out of the dining hall and to the dorms. I throw out my food and I start following them.

I hear Christina tell them the rules of the dorm and I decide to announce my presence. "You guys better excel in training," I say leaning against the door frame. "That is if you want to make it."

"What do you mean?" A bronze skinned Candor boy asks from the corner. I stalk over to him and intimidate him with my height.

"I mean we only except the top ten initiates out of everyone. There are ten Dauntless born and six of you, do the math."

He looks down timidly and I smirk to myself. I look around the room and see the same worried expression on everyone's face. For the third time today, I make eye contact with the Stiff.

"If knowing that you'll be scored and possibly be cut scares you, maybe you're not Dauntless," I say staring directly at her. This time the Stiff backs down and looks at the floor. _Submission_. I turn on my heel and head out the door.

I decide that today has been stressful so I go to the bar for a drink. I sit alone in a booth, drinking straight Scotch as I always do. I'm on my second glass when an attractive blonde approaches my table.

"Hi, I noticed you were alone and I was wondering if you wanted company," she says in a sultry voice. I look at her and realize that she is in a dress that leaves little to the imagination. Normally I don't go for desperate girls but she's hot and I have needs so she'll have to do.

"Maybe we could go back to your apartment and have some fun," she whispers in my ear. I grab her hand and lead her upstairs to my apartment.

The rest is a blur of clothes flying & kissing. Later, as we're having sex, I dont find myself enjoying it as much as usual. Maybe it's the girl, maybe it's not. As the blonde gets dressed to leave, I don't even find it in myself to walk her to door. I just let her leave without a goodbye and I couldn't care less.

* * *

I walk into the dining hall the next day and as always, there is silence. I don't pay anyone attention as I make my way to my table. I nod at Farrah and Max as a greeting and start eating my breakfast. For some reason, my plate is always already made when I arrive at meals.

I hear laughter coming from the hallways and I see the Stiff on her Erudite friend's back. He spins them around and they both fall down with laughter. It looks so carefree and I can't help but scoff. The smiles will be wiped off their faces as soon as fights come and I can't wait.

"Initiates. Let's go," Four says, his voice sounding throughout the cafeteria. I decide that I will oversee the transfers first and trail behind them. I enter the training room quietly after them and stand in the back. No one seems to notice that I'm here.

"Today, we will be learning how to throw knives. Before you ask, the answer is yes. Knife throwing is important. A gun may not always be in your possession and knives can be equally as deadly," Christina says loudly. I have to admit to myself that the initiates seem intimidated by her. "Four will demonstrate, pay close attention. We're not going to walk you through initiation step by step, holding your hand because you're not babies." She nods at Four and grabs three knives.

Every single one of the knives hit bullseye and I see all of the initiates looking stunned. I decide this is the time to announce my presence by giving a slow, sarcastic clap.

"Eric," Four says acknowledging me. "For those of you that didn't know, this is Eric, a Dauntless leader. He will also be overseeing initiations," he says, plainly. _Stiff_.

The initiates all seem to look worried at the thought of me overseeing them. "Are you all going to stare into space all day or are you going to throw the fucking knives," I practically growl. They all scramble and grab three knives each.

I watch silently as they all throw the knives, none of them hitting center. One of the Candor boys, Ian, seems to be the closest to hitting the heart. The other Candors, Corey and Samantha, can't get their knives to even stick. Pathetic. The Erudite, Kirk, seems to have aim that is a little off and the girl, Emma, is at least hitting the target. The Stiff is okay, but her aim is a little off. Four and Christina walk around, giving the initiates tips. A while later, everyone seems to have improved but Samantha still can't get the knife to stick to the target. I decide that I will scare her into getting it to stick. I walk and stand behind for a minute before I say something.

"Candor, how pathetic are you? You can't even get a knife to pierce the target?!" I see her flinch at the sound of my loud voice. She turns around and is about to say something before thinking better of it. "Hit the target now and the knife better stay," I demand, lowly. Four and Christina don't even look up from the people they're helping. They're probably used to me intimidating people.

She seems scared out of her mind and I think I see her hand shake a little bit. She grabs the knife and lets out a few shaky breaths before throwing it. It sticks. Not close to center, but it stays. I'm guessing she put her all into that throw. "That's what I thought," I snarl before walking away.

I hear the Stiff mutter the word _bully_. "Excuse me? What did you say, Stiff?" I ask, towering over her. She doesn't even look intimidated. I make sure to stare her down, directly in her eyes. She cowers back a little bit. The room is quiet and I feel eyes on us.

"Nothing," she says quietly. I raise my eyebrow at her. "Nothing," she says louder.

"I suggest that if you don't want to be factionless, or dead, you'll keep your mouth shut," I say, lowly. "Get back to throwing those knives. Now!"

She turns around and silently continues throwing. For the rest of the morning, there are no more altercations. The transfers have gotten exceptional at knife throwing in these short hours. I think it's because they're scared of what might happen if they don't. _Good_. Dauntless doesn't raise amateurs, we raise warriors.

When Four releases them for a lunch break, they all pass me with their heads hung low. All except for the Stiff. She looks me dead in the eyes as she passes, which is ironic to me. The one person raised to keep a bowed head is the only one who doesn't. I don't know what it is about this Stiff, but I know that I need to watch her.

* * *

_please review. it really does motivate me tbh. don't be afraid to leave ideas and constructive criticism! :)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Jo**

* * *

Emma shakes me awake. "Come on, first day of training," she says smiling. _I guess she's a morning person._ I look over and see Kirk slowly getting out of bed also.

I make my way to the shower knowing that now is the only privacy I'll get. Everyone but Emma, Kirk, and I are asleep and Emma's already showered. Kirk said he'll shower at night if I'm too uncomfortable. Which I am. Growing up in Abnegation, no one really paid attention to me, which I didn't like. However, I don't want people looking at my body. Especially my naked body. There's not much to look at and I'd rather not be judged. I'm fine with people noticing my facial beauty but my naked form is private and reserved.

I shower quickly and walk back to the dorm with the towel wrapped around my body. I pull out a pair of underwear, black pants and a black tank, courtesy of Dauntless. They told us to burn our old faction's clothes but I hid mine in the bottom of my drawer. I put my under wear and pants on first under the towel and then slide my shirt on without Emma or Kirk seeing. They wait for me outside the door, granting me my privacy. Everyone else in the room is still sleep and I can feel the Abnegation in me screaming to wake them up. But I am Dauntless now, I don't have to help others. Espsecially others who've already shown their dislike for me, despite not knowing me.

I leave the room stealthily and join Emma and Kirk. "What do you think we're going to do today? I hope we get to shoot things," Kirk says excitedly as we walk down to the dining hall.

"I heard we have to fight each other some time during this initiation," Emma says with a grimace. "I'm not looking forward to beating your asses."

Kirk and I share a look. We laugh at her and she just shrugs and smiles. It's a bit comical for her to think that she could take on Kirk in a fight, given their physical differences but I know not to underestimate people. "I don't know about Jo here, but I sure could take you any day," Kirk says with a smirk on his face. I can see a bit of worry in his eyes at the thought of hurting his friend. I've only been around them for a day but I can tell they genuinely care for each other. There may even be a bit of a romance between them.

"I'll race you to the dining hall," Emma says cockily, changing the subject. "Whoever wins has to give the other their cake tonight."

"Okay, deal. I'll beat you even with Jo on my back!" Kirk exclaims. He motions for me to get on his back which I hesitate to do. In Abnegation, we barely had contact with other people so riding on some boy's back wasn't exactly normal for me. The Dauntless in me tells me to do it, so I suck it up and hop on his back.

"On your mark, get set, go!"

Emma takes off running and so does Kirk. At first Emma was in the lead but she bumps into someone, slowing her down. Kirk takes this as his cue to run faster, therefore leaving Emma far behind. All the while I'm laughing uncontrollably, having way too much fun on Kirk's back. He stops in front of the door and pretty soon we're both laughing. We laugh even harder when we see Emma walking our way with a scowl on her face, obviously upset from her lost. Kirk even falls to the floor laughing, bringing me down with him.

"Initiates. Let's go," Four says from behind us. The other three candor transfers are behind him, scowling at us. We follow him to a room where knives are set up and Christina is standing in front of the room.

Once we're all in the room Christina starts to talk. "Today, we will be learning how to throw knives. Before you ask, yes. Knife throwing is important. A gun may not always be in your possession and knives can be equally as deadly," she says aloud. I shiver at the word deadly. I think one of my biggest fears is having to kill someone. I don't want to ever be put in a position where I have to take the life from someone's existence.

"Four will demonstrate, pay close attention. We're not going to walk you through initiation step by step, holding your hand because you're not babies." She nods at Four and he grabs three knives.

Every single one of his knives hit center and I am stunned. His accuracy was fierce and he didn't even break a sweat. I hear a slow clap come from the back and turn around to see Eric.

"Eric," Four says acknowledging him. "For those of you that didn't know, this is Eric, a Dauntless leader. He will also be overseeing initiations," he says as if he's bored. I can't help but roll my eyes. Eric overseeing initiation is not something I'm too happy about but there's nothing I can do. I can only prove myself and hope to make it through unscathed.

When no one makes a move, Eric almost barks. "Are you going to stare into space all day or are you going to throw the fucking knives," Eric looks at all of us. We scatter and grab three knives each.

I take the last post, Emma next to me and Kirk next to her. We begin throwing knives, none of us very good at it. Ian is the best, while Kirk comes in second for accuracy. Emma and I are at least hitting the target, while Corey and Samantha can't even get their knives to stick to the target. Four and Christina go to everyone to give advice, while Eric stands in the back with his arms crossed.

"Try to aim a little to the right," Christina says behind me. "I'm left handed too and thats how I get my aim on point." I nod and follow her instructions. Pretty soon I'm hitting center repeatedly.

A little while later I hear Eric yell at Samantha, calling her pathetic. He tells her to make the knife stick to the target _or else_. Even I don't want to know what _or else_ means. I see her hand shake a bit but she throws the knife. To everyone's relief, she gets it to pierce the target. Eric still looks unimpressed but walks away. I find myself muttering the word bully.

"What did you say, Stiff?" Eric questions. Although I am 5'8", he still is tall enough to tower over me. I try my best not to look scared but after he stares me down I can feel myself back down.

"Nothing," I murmur. He raises an eyebrow as if asking me to speak louder. "Nothing."

"I suggest that if you don't want to end up factionless, or dead, you'll keep your mouth shut," he says this lowly as if not wanting the others to hear his threat. I'm sure they did though. "Get back to throwing those knives. Now!"

I follow his orders and continue throwing. I know that I am Dauntless but that doesn't mean I should be an idiot. Picking a fight with Eric may seem brave but I don't want to know if he will actually follow with his threats. For the rest of initiation, I will try to go unnoticed, much like how I did in Abnegation. Although I find myself staring Eric down after Four dismisses us for lunch.

"You are out to get yourself killed!" Emma exclaims once we get to the dining hall.

I shrug and join the line for lunch. Once I receive my food, I sit down and quickly start eating. I know now that I need to wake up even earlier so that I don't miss breakfast. Emma and Kirk sit beside me and soon Tara and Olive join us. Today, they bring another Dauntless born boy. He has tan skin and dark shaggy hair. He is definitely handsome.

"This is Aziz, he decided to sit with us today," Olive says rolling her eyes. Aziz smiles at us before eating his lunch. I do notice how his eyes linger on Emma and she can't hide her blush. Kirk seems to notice too because his grip on his fork tightens. This only fuels my suspicions that something romantic is going on between him and Emma.

"So, who's the transfer that disrespected Eric?" Aziz asks.

"That would be her," Emma says pointing at me. "How do you even know about that?" Aziz shrugs, "news spreads fast in Dauntless."

"Abnegation disrespecting Eric? You must want a target painted on your back," Tara declares with a shake of her head. Olive mumbles an agreement and nods her head.

"I didn't disrespect anybody. He was being a bully and I accidentally said so out loud," I say desperate to get off this subject. "How about you Dauntless born, what'd you guys do?"

"We threw knives like you guys, nothing special," Aziz says. "I can't wait for fights to begin."

"You can't wait to beat up your friends? That sounds a little weird," Kirk says, narrowing his eyes at Aziz.

"It's exhilarating nd if they're really your friends, they know you mean no harm," Aziz says. Tara and Olive nod in agreement, while Kirk still looks suspicious.

We continue to eat in silence for the rest of our break. No one speaks until we're called back into the training rooms, us saying our goodbyes to our Dauntless born friends. We spend the rest of the training day throwing knives.

* * *

I look around and see that everyone is sleep. For some reason, I've caught a case of insomnia and I can't sleep. I slip on a pair of pants over my sleep shorts, a hoodie, and some shoes. I walk out the dorms and head down the hallway. I don't know where I'm going but I know that I need to burn some energy by walking. I take random turns and walk down halls, making sure to remember where I came from. I somehow end up at the chasm and decide to take a closer look at it.

It's beautifully dangerous. The water splashing wildly against the dark rocks shows the contrast between motion and stillness. However, one jump and you'll be dead; the water will show no mercy. It's strangely similar to Dauntless life. They're free but risky. One mistake and you could end up with the same fate as one who jumped in the chasm. But that's what life is about to me, that's the reason I left Abnegation. Here in Dauntless I could live young, wild, and free.

Over the noise of the chasm, I don't hear footsteps come near me. I don't even know anyone is near me until a hand touches my shoulder and turns me around. It's Eric. I audibly gulp and brace myself for the trouble that I'm about to get into.

"Initiate, what are you doing here?" He asks loudly over the roar of the chasm.

"I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk," I say looking down at the ground. "I didn't know that we weren't allowed out of the dorms after the lights go out." I intended for that last sentence to come off timidly, but instead it seemed sarcastic.

Eric chuckles darkly, "you just love disrespecting me, don't you? You'll regret it, Stiff, trust me."

"You have to earn my trust, you know," I say sarcastically again with a sarcastic smile to match. I don't know why but there always seems to be bite to my words when I speak to him. He just gets my blood boiling.

This time he lets out a real laugh. I can't help but notice how attractive he looks when he does. "I'll tell you what, I'll let you go this time. But you better stop disrespecting me or else."

I take this as my cue to go. If Eric is letting me off the hook, why argue with him? However I can't stop myself and end up saying something else. "Thank you, your highness, for sparing my life," I even throw a fake curtsy in and smile. One day my sarcasm will be the death of me. He just shakes his head and walks away from the chasm in the opposite direction of the dorms.

I go back to the dorms and quietly slip into bed, finding myself smiling at Eric and I's interaction.

* * *

_Chapter 3 posted already! Well, this is quick for me because I'm always busy or have writer's block. I also realized that I didnt say that I'm using the movie version of Eric but the book version of everyone else. Also for those who would like to see what Jo looks like, either look at the cover image for this story or google Annie Ilonzeh. She was the inspiration for Jo's looks. Please leave a review, i probably wont post a new chapter until I get at least five reviews on this chapter. see ya next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Eric **

* * *

I wake up that morning, feeling considerably well. Since I don't have to meet with Jeanine for a while and relations with other factions have been going well, I have less stress on my plate.

I get up and put on my signature outfit: black pants, black boots, black v-neck, and black leather jacket. I run a hand through my hair and brush my teeth. I leave my apartment, locking the door behind me.

When I arrive at the dining hall, silence greets my entrance. I walk to my table and sit down with Farrah. I noticed how the Stiff only glanced at me, abandoning her usual stare down. I have to say that I didn't think she would listen when I told her to stop disrespecting me last night but I guess she's heeding my orders.

I start to eat my breakfast and notice Farrah staring at me. "What is it now?" I ask exasperatedly. Max usually annoys me but if he was here, Farrah would have something else to focus on.

"Nothing, you just seem like you're in a good mood... which is rare," she chuckles. I nod my head and continue eating my food. Sometimes I wonder how Farrah could see through me so well; I'm not smiling or anything but she can detect that I'm feeling pretty pleasant today. The thought that someone could read my emotions scares the fuck out of me. I prefer to leave people wondering whether or not I'm going to chew their heads off for even looking at me.

"Stop staring at me ,will you? I'd rather not have people starting rumors about us again. I'm sure Derek feels the same," I say to Farrah when I feel her eyes on my face. She only laughs in response.

"Eric, you wish those dating rumors were true," she says jokingly."But I have Derek, also I don't date players like you."

I roll my eyes. There she goes again with _my_ love life. "Why are you so obsessed with what I do with other women, huh? What will you get out of me being faithful to one girl?" I spit out the questions with venom and she doesn't even look affected.

"Well, it'll decrease your rate of catching an STD. And I just want you to be happy, Eric. You can't spend the rest of your life being promiscuous," she says getting serious. I almost laugh at her choice of words. _Promiscuous._

"For one, I always use protection. Number two, I'm still nineteen, settling down does not interest me in anyway. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go monitor the transfers," I say getting up from the table.

When I enter the training room, I slam the door, announcing my arrival. I nod at Four and Christina in greeting. Four nods back however all Christina does is look disgustedly at me. I guess she still harbors disdain towards me for making her hang off the chasm. _Boohoo_.

Today the initiates are starting shooting. This time I sit in the back and observe, not in the mood to scare initiates. I watch as they shoot, none of them special except for the Stiff. She's hitting center accurately and repeatedly. However, she still recoils a bit from the gun despite shooting multiple times. I walk closer to her and watch her quietly for a few seconds.

"You're standing with your feet too close together. Make them shoulder width apart and plant them firmly," I say behind her. She jumps a little, surprised by my closeness to her but nods. She places her feet in position and shoots. As I predicted, she didn't move.

"Thanks," she says lowly without looking at me. I have to say that I almost wish that I didn't tell her to stop disrespecting me. That fire in eyes that I've seen the last two days is what makes watching the transfers interesting. It's like you can see the Dauntless in her just by looking at her eyes.

I look over and see Four looking at us. He raises an eyebrow but continues helping the other transfers anyway. I walk away from her and stand at the back of the training room until they're released for lunch. I decide to stay and shoot some rounds, I haven't done it in a while. Four comes and stands next to me and I have to hold in my sigh of annoyance.

"Eric, since when do you help initiates?" He eyes me suspiciously.

"In case you haven't noticed, I always do. I helped the Candor yesterday and the Stiff today," I say without even looking at him.

"Let me rephrase that then. Since when do you help initiates without threatening them?"

I finally look at him and he's staring back at me. His face is expressionless as always but I can tell he's skeptical of my motives. I don't answer his question and continue shooting. But in the back of my mind, I know that I don't even have the answer to that question. I don't know why I didn't yell at her or scold her harshly. I just didn't.

* * *

After monitoring the Dauntless born, I walk into the leader's dining hall, used for special occasions or meetings only. Farrah and Max are sitting down already, seemingly in deep conversation. If they notice my arrival, they don't acknowledge it because they keep talking.

"War on Abnegation? You want me to approve of war on Abnegation? That's ridiculous!" Farrah practically yells the last part. Thankfully we're in the secluded dining hall. I figured Max knew she would react like this.

"Keep your voice down. I'm not asking you to approve, it's already set in stone. I was notifying you as you are the other leader," Max rolls his eyes. "They have been withholding important information and are harboring the city's highest Divergent population." His words sound exactly like something Jeanine would say.

Farrah looks nauseated and angry at the same time. "You want to murder an entire faction because they supposedly have the most Divergents? How do we even know Divergents are dangerous? This is outrageous and disgusting to say the least. Let me guess, Jeanine Matthews helped you come up with this idea? You always were her puppet, you weak minded-" I decide to cut her off before she says something she will regret. We're all leaders and supposedly equal, but everyone knows that Max has more power over us.

"Farrah, that's enough," I say lowly. She looks at me as if I just told her I killed someone.

"No. You don't tell me whats enough. I can't believe you're in on this bullshit! Count me out, I will not take part in the slaughtering of innocent people," Farrah says before stomping off.

Max just shrugs and continues to eat his food. "We will continue with or without her. If her decision to remain neutral is still in tact when the war begins she will either have to be injected or terminated." _Terminated. Killed._ One disagreement and Max is preparing to take her life.

I realize that the increasing talk about the war means that it will happen very soon. I honestly do not care about the Abnegation being slaughtered; I truly wouldn't care about anyone being slaughtered but myself. My parents were always hard and robotic, I harbor no love towards them. Farrah is my only friend but if she is difficult and Max takes her out, I'll still move on. The only thing about the war is that it is not only on Abnegation but Divergents. You can only slip under the nose of the smartest leader in the city so many times.

When I finish my dinner, I decide to go see Farrah. I've never seen her so upset and if I want to keep the only friend I have, I better make amends with her. When I knock on her door she opens it, her face still flushed from yelling at Max and I. She tries to close the door in my face but I stop it with my foot and walk in her apartment.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you and Max be creating blueprints filled with war plans?" She stands by the door, keeping her distance from me.

"I wanted to see if you were alright, that's what friends do," I say trying to seem nonchalant. Sentimental moments bring me out of my comfort zone.

"Are you serious? Friends? If you were my friend you wouldn't go through with this, you wouldn't follow their orders!" Her voice is at a dangerously loud level and she's moving closer to me. I can see her hands balling up into fists as if she wants to hit me. "_Eric_, you're the _last_ person I would expect to go along with this."

I know what she's talking about. My divergence. My aptitude for both Dauntless and Erudite. Since her and Amar we're trainers when I was an initiate, they put us through our fear landscapes. They knew about my divergence and helped me hide it during the final stage. Amar, however, wasn't as skillful in hiding his own divergence. As Max put it, they _terminated him for safety reasons._

"Why are you so worked up about this? What does it matter to you if a couple of Stiffs are hurt?" I question. Farrah scoffs and steps closer to me so that she's directly in front of me. She's very much shorter than me so she has to look up to glare at me.

"Derek is Divergent. This war isn't specifically for Abnegation but for the Divergents they are _hiding_." She puts air quotes on the word hiding. "Once they finish with the Abnegation, who's next? How long until they reach Dauntless? How long until they reach Derek? How many innocent people have to die because they can't conform to one fucking faction?"

"It was a decision made by Jeanine Matthews and Max. I'm not sacrificing my life for random people I don't know and have no intention of knowing," I say. I notice how robotic my voice sounds, much like my father's. "Now, I suggest you follow through with us or face whatever Max throws your way."

"An ultimatum? Fuck you, Eric. Honestly, I don't see how I ever sympathized with you. I don't see how I ever thought to save your ass from being killed off. You don't even care about the lives of others, you're a monster. No one could ever love you and now I know why."

The last part hits me hard because of the truthfulness of it. I _don't_ care about the lives of people I don't know and I _am_ a monster. Farrah always could read me like an open book and tonight she used it to an advantage. I have the strongest urge to knock her out but I resist. Instead I leave the apartment without another word, slamming the door behind myself.

In need of a release, I decide to make my way to the bar. I opt to take the shortcut that passes the chasm because it's usually emptied of people and I want to avoid everyone. When I get near to the chasm, I see someone. It's Jo, the Stiff initiate. In the same spot she was last night. _Just my fucking luck_. She sees me a little after I spot her and upon taking in my iron expression, she looks like a deer caught in headlights.

"I'm sorry that I'm out, I couldn't sleep again and I needed to burn some energy," she says with her head bowed. "I'll be on my way."

Being that I'm in a shitty mood and I need to take my frustrations out, I grab the front of her shirt. She looks truly scared for the first time, her eyes darting back and forth between my eyes and the water of the chasm. "I let you go the first time, Stiff, but now you're pushing your luck. I told you that you would regret disrespecting me and I'm dangerously close to showing you how," I say leaning closely into her ear. I let go off her shirt and she stumbles back a little bit.

"Are you okay?" She asks hesitantly. I just threatened her and she's worried about my well being. _Truly Abnegation._ I choose to ignore her question.

"Get back to that dorm room right now or else you'll be scraping yourself out the chasm," I growl. She just nods and continues her way back to the dorm.

I make my way to the bar and sit at my normal secluded table. By the end of the night I end up having six beers and one glass of scotch. I don't know how I made it home, but I did.

* * *

_Just when you thought Eric was gonna be nice to Jo... NO! I feel like he's complex and his moods can change in a second (much like Tobias). I promise there will be more Eric/Jo interaction in the next few chapters!_

_As for my other story, Until the End, I will try to update. I might put it on hiatus because Idk where it's going._

_Please review. Last chapter only got 2 reviews and I was very discouraged. Lets aim for like 10? 8? idk, just review pls_


	5. Chapter 5

**Jo**

* * *

I look around and see that no one is awake. I slip out of bed and pull some pants on. For the second night in a row, I cannot sleep. I figure my chances of being caught by Eric are slim because I doubt he goes to the chasm every night.

I creep my way down the fairly familiar hallways until I reach the water. Like last night, I simply watch the water. It's fascinating and helps the thoughts of initiation out of my head.

Today, we started shooting. To my surprise, I was the best shooter among the transfers. My only setback was that I kept recoiling but Eric helped me with that. Eric.

As I promised myself, I will try to go through initiation unnoticed. This morning, I didn't do my usual stare back at him but avoided eye contact. I didn't give him a fiery remark when he helped me, I muttered a thank you. Although it takes effort and goes against my nature for me to act submissive towards him, I have to try.

I hear heavy footsteps approaching my direction and I turn around. With my bad luck, it's Eric. In this moment, I wish nothing more than to become invisible. He looks pissed off and I know that I've chosen the wrong night to sneak out the dorms.

"I'm sorry that I'm out, I couldn't sleep again and I needed to burn some energy. I'll be on my way," I say without looking him in the eye. He doesn't let me pass; he grabs the front of my shirt, making me lift off the ground a bit.

To say that I'm scared is an understatement. I've heard the stories about Eric, how he's malicious and merciless. I've always thought they were over exaggerations and he wasn't really that bad. But as I'm standing here right now, inches from the chasm and him staring daggers through my skin, I am terrified of Eric.

"I let you go the first time, Stiff, but now you're pushing your luck. I told you that you would regret disrespecting me and I'm dangerously close to showing you how," he says lowly. I almost would've preferred if he screamed. At least people would know we're here and my chances of being rescued would be heightened.

He let's go of my shirt unexpectedly and I stumble back. I take a second to glance at his face and I can tell there's something wrong. He doesn't look malicious, just tired. He looks exhausted, which is strange because he looked jovial this morning. "Are you okay?"

He looks at me incredulously, probably wondering why I would ask that. I don't even know why I asked it. Abnegation tendencies must really die hard. He ignores my question completely and orders me back to the dorms with a threat of throwing me into the chasm. After what just happened and how upset he looks, I do as he says.

When I slip into bed, I instantly fall asleep.

* * *

"Today, we will be knife throwing the morning and shooting after lunch. Take your posts," Christina says loudly.

I take my usual post and begin throwing the knives. I don't understand why but I'm still not the best at this. My knives hit center most times but sometimes they're off completely.

"You're weird at this, Jojo," Kirk says from the side of Emma. For some reason he has given me a nickname. "Every other fourth throw is completely off. Probably because you think you're in the clearing after three hits and you loose focus."

"Thanks, Mr. Erudite," I say sarcastically and Emma giggles.

"What're you laughing at, Em? You were a blue-clothed, know it all Nose just like me," Kirk says mockingly offended.

"Well, I left them behind and I'm Dauntless now!" She says proudly and a little too loudly. I look over and Eric is stalking his way towards us.

"What is all this noise? I would like to know," he says nastily. "Were you guys just saying how you'd all like to hang off the chasm or how you you'd like to be factionless?" Emma and Kirk look scared at the thought of both of these options, and I am too.

"It was me. I was talking, not them," I blurt out before I could stop. The Abnegation hard wiring is still not fully gone.

Eric tilts his head at me and raises an eyebrow. "Okay. You stay after you are dismissed. Now, back to work." I nod and continue throwing my knives.

In the next 20 minutes, we are dismissed and I linger behind. Emma and Kirk shoot me apologizing looks and I nod to them that it's okay. Four tries to stay behind but Eric gives him a look that means to get out. Once the door is closed and everyone is out, Eric walks over and towers over me. I've noticed that this is one of his intimidation tactics.

"Why the fuck do you keep testing me? I will in fact send you flying over the chasm and not bat an eyelash. Ask your trainer, I'm sure she doesn't think too fondly of her chasm adventure," he growls.

"Why do you keep threatening me but not actually following through?" I ask curiously. If I don't stop blurting things out I know that I'm going to be in serious trouble.

"If you would like for me to follow through, just say the words and I'll do it," Eric says lowly in my ear. My breath hitches. Eric is so close to me that I can feel his warmth. I feel scared but also something else. I feel flustered, perhaps turned on even. I've never felt this way in Abnegation.

"No. I'm sorry. I'll stop disrespecting you, Sir," I say looking down at my feet. I don't think he was playing when he said he would follow through.

He smirks and walks over to the door. "Are you going to go to eat lunch or stand there staring at the floor?" He says before walking off. I quickly make my way to the dining hall.

I grab my food from the line and sit down with my friends. Kirk and Emma look awkward and apologetic. Tara and Olive seem to notice the awkwardness while Aziz shamelessly flirts with Emma.

"Guys, it's fine. All he did was yell at me," I say, finally tired of the awkwardness. "Now, stop being awkward and be my bickering friends again?" I chuckle.

"Okay, sorry. We just know that you always get in trouble with Eric and we didn't want him to do something to you," Emma says. "But let's forget about it."

"You know what we should do? Get tattoos! I've always been waiting until I'm a full fledged Dauntless but who cares! I already know what I want," Tara says excitedly.

"I'm in," Olive says looking at Tara. Aziz nods and so does Emma and Kirk. They all look at me to see what I say.

I think about it and realize that it's exactly what I need. I want to showcase the Dauntless in me and show that the Abnegation is gone. "I guess we're getting tattooed!"

* * *

After dinner, we decide that we're going to go. We walk and talk anxiously about ideas for our tattoos.

"I'm getting a sleeve of Dauntless flames," Kirk says flexing his arm. "The ladies wont be able to resist." Emma rolls her eyes.

"I think I want a bear paw print. Back in the old world, bears were seen as a symbol of danger and that's what I am," Aziz says mostly to Emma. He's blatantly flirting with her and she's not even noticing. Kirk on the other hand just looks jealous.

"Tara and I are getting matching tattoos! The Dauntless symbol with roses around it. It symbolizes us, dangerous but beautiful," Olive beams. Tara high fives her.

"I want a simple heart. Clean and neat, thats it. I don't even know why," Emma shrugs.

They all look at me as if expecting me to say what I'm getting. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm getting yet," I say truthfully. I want something to symbolize my transition from Abnegation to Dauntless but I don't know what.

We walk in a lady with porcelain skin and slanted eyes greets us. "Hey Tara, Olive, Aziz. You guys here for your first tattoos?"

"Yeah, Tori. These are our transfer friends, Kirk, Emma and Jo."

"Hi, just pick out a design and one of our artists will tattoo it for you," she says before walking off behind a counter.

All of my friends scurry off while I sit down with a piece of paper to draw my tattoo. I decide that I don't want to use the symbols of each faction, that's too common. I think about getting the words selfless and brave but I feel like that's too much. Finally I settle on a lower case, cursive "a," with an arrow pointing to a capital bold "D." I draw up the design and wait for someone's tattoo to be done. I end up getting serviced as my friends are leaving and tell them that they can go back to the dorm without me.

"You sure? We could wait up for you," Emma says. "It's no big deal, I'm sure it wont take that long."

I shake my head. "Guys, go ahead. You need your rest, more training tomorrow. I'll be fine trust me," I say nonchalantly. Truth be told, I will be fine. After all the times I've snuck out after curfew, nothing has happened except occasional threats from Eric.

"I'm Lynn, I'll be doing your tattoo today. What do you want inked?" A girl with a shaved head asks. She is very pretty even without hair.

"I'd like this on my under my collar bone, please," I show her the paper and she nods. She puts on her gloves and gets the needle out. I barely pay attention as it engraves the ink onto my skin. She lets me see the finished product and then bandages me up.  
"You're all set, apply this soothing lotion twice a day for three days," she says before walking off to go talk to Tori.

I leave the tattoo parlor and the pitt is still jumping with life. Dauntless is like the city that never sleeps. I decide that it will be quicker to take the chasm shortcut to the dorm than walk past all of the rowdy people. As soon as I am passing the chasm, I hear a voice behind me.

"Stiff," I hear Eric call out. _Fuck, it's Eric. _My whole body ironically stiffens and I turn around. He staggers over to me and stops right in front of me.

"You know, you never listen. I should punish you, but I don't. Maybe, I secretly like you but who knows," he draws out the _s_ on the last word. He's drunk. I've heard that when you're drunk, you say things without a filter. I still blush at the fact that he may have a liking towards me, despite his inebriated state. "Get back to the dorm, Jo, see you tomorrow," he slurs.

I can't help but giggle at seeing one of the strongest men I know off balance. He continues walking to his destination and I continue to mine.

* * *

_hey everybody! sorry i havent updated in a while, i've been really busy. also, sorry that this chapter is so short. i wont have a lot of time to update since school started and they gave me two ap classes plus physics (wtf) so that sucks. review though. see ya later._


	6. Chapter 6

_**Eric**_

* * *

I wake up with half of a headache. As usual, I drank until I was inebriated. Though, I usually do not have a headache. I try to recall as to why I would drink so much, but I don't really remember anything from yesterday. Except talking to the Stiff. I don't know what I said but I'm sure it isn't something I want her to remember. I don't need initiates seeing me as less than sharp.

I repeat my usual morning routine and then get dressed in my usual black clothing. I decide not to brush my hair back today, leaving it as it was when I woke up. I walk downstairs to the dining hall, ignoring the silence that greets me. I walk and sit down at my usual table with only Max. Farrah is now sitting with some of her other friends, I'm guessing because of our argument.

I can't say that I don't care. I wish I didn't but Farrah is my only true friend here, the only one I can seek companionship with. She is the only one who I know cares about me, which is probably why she is so hurt at the idea of me being in on Jeanine's plan. There is nothing I can do now though, I am not going to apologize for saving myself. I am also not going to be the one to try to piece back our friendship because the last time I attempted, I got called a monster.

I eat my breakfast in silence, not really listening to Max's conversation. I'm sure it's something about Divergents. I wonder if he ever gets tired of feeding into Jeanine's bullshit. When I notice the transfer initiates leaving to the training room, I follow soon after. Today they will be training with the punching bags in order to prepare for the fights tomorrow.

By the time I reach there after them, they already are at the punching bags. I observe for a few minutes and come to the conclusion that they're all weak. If you look at some of the punches the Erudite transfer girl, Emma, is throwing, you'd die of laughter. It's pathetic. '

Four and Christina walk around giving advice to them. It's not like they're going to become fighting champions in one day, but I guess some advice could help. Four walks over to the Stiff and studies her for a minute. She's punching with lots of force but leaving her thumb tucked in her fist. That's the perfect way to break it, idiot.

He takes her hands and shows her the incorrect way to hold her fists and then the correct way. Jo smiles at him and nods before continuing. For some reason, I feel the slightest hint of jealousy. I don't know if it's the fact that he held her hands or the way she smiled, but I was a little jealous. I wanted her to smile at me. I shake off the feeling and try to clear my head.

_Why would I feel jealous of a former Stiff teaching a new Stiff?_ It makes absolutely no sense and I think I'm just feeling weird because of my hangover headache.

* * *

I am sitting in my apartment, reading —something an Erudite would do— when I hear a knock on my door. I open it and am met with a blonde-haired girl about my age staring back at me. For some reason her face looks familiar but I don't know who she is.

"Remember me?" she asks in an attempt to be sultry. And I start to remember her. She was the desperate blonde who I'd brought back to my apartment a few days ago.

"What do you want?" I ask getting straight to the point. I prefer my one night stands to be just that, _one night. _She looks only a little offended before putting back on her mask of confidence and seduction.

"I was wondering if you were interested in having another night like the other one... I had fun and I'm sure you did too," she says lowly. I scoff at the fact that she thinks that will seduce me. She is no doubt attractive but as I said before, _one night only._

"What happened that night was a one time thing. Go find someone else at the bar, I am pretty sure there are men that are desperate to get into your pants," I say before slamming the door in her face.

Before I could sit back down, another knock sounds throughout the apartment. I storm back over, aggravated at the blonde's persistence, and fling the door open. "I said I'm not fucking interested," but there stands Farrah, not the blonde. She looks up from her feet and her grey eyes bore into mine. Her eyes are red and puffy and she looks as if she could start crying at any second. Although, I remember our fight a couple days ago and all the things she said to me, I still can't hate her.

"Hi. Can I come in?" Farrah asks, quite timidly. I open the door wider so that she can enter. She walks over and stands idly near the couch, not sitting down.

"Are you here to stand around all night or is there something you have to tell me?" I ask crossing my arms and leaning against the door. She looks up at me again but this time with tears in her eyes.

"Derek is dead. He's dead, Eric. They just found his body, it was in the chasm," she breaks down in tears and it takes me a minute before I wrap my arms around her. I've been in my apartment the past three hours so I had no idea what was happening in the rest of the compound. I also can't help but be suspicious at the fact that his body was found in the chasm. That's where most of the Divergents' deaths are staged and Derek was no doubt a Divergent.

I'm not really good with people crying. I am not kind and I am not afraid to admit that. I struggle with being compassionate and sympathetic, something I didn't learn from my robotic parents.

"I don't know what to do Eric. I really don't. I feel so empty," Farrah sniffles. "They're holding his funeral right now and I couldn't stand to go."

"I wasn't even informed," I say truthfully. "Usually the leaders are the first to know."

"I have a feeling they didn't want you to know," she whispers. "You and I both know this wasn't a suicide. We both know what happened."

I nod and she pulls away. She wipes her face with her hands and goes over to sit on the couch. I continue to lean on the door frame. Although I can tell she's trying her hardest not to, Farrah is about to break down. She has every reason to, she really loved him and this is all is happening very rapidly. Perhaps she's holding back because she doesn't want to look weak but that isn't necessary.

"It's okay to cry, you know," I say. She looks up at me a bit confused; this isn't really in my character to allow people to show weakness. Farrah instantly breaks down in tears for a second time, her body hunched over. Her sobs are quiet but they're frequent.

I go to the kitchen and grab two glasses, filling them with hard liquor. Alcohol takes away from the pain and thats exactly what Farrah needs right now. I set her glass on the coffee table and sit next to her with mine. I don't plan on drinking as much as yesterday but I do want to enjoy a drink tonight.

"In honor of Derek, the love of Farrah's life and a brave man," I say holding my glass out to her and she grabs hers. We toast and she practically downs the liquor in a second. She walks over to the kitchen and refills her glass, again downing it in a matter of seconds. I'm not going to tell her she needs to slow down because she's hurting. If she wants to drown her sorrows in liquor, so be it.

* * *

A few hours later, Farrah is passed out in my bed. I decided to let her stay the night because I didn't want to go home alone in her state. I may have a hard time admitting it but I do have a soft spot for her. She's like the older sister that I've never had.

I walk out into the cold and foreboding compound and make my way to the chasm. I need some time to sort out my thoughts after talking to Max. After Farrah passed out, I decided to go ask Max if my suspicious were true. They were. He claimed he didn't tell me because he knew that I've taken a liking to Farrah and would likely disagree with killing off Derek. Which would be correct.

In my opinion, this war on Abnegation, more specifically Divergents, is ridiculous. There is nothing that I can do now without getting myself killed and I'd rather not risk my life for random people. If I'm being totally honest, there is no one I'd sacrifice myself for. Not even Farrah. I value living and when I have to die, I want it to be on my own time.

When I reach the chasm, there is already someone there and I know who it is from a far. The Stiff. I'm starting to think that she likes getting threatened by me, but tonight I have no energy to deal with her. I walk and sit down, my legs hanging off of the bridge. She looks over at me, not at all shocked that I am here.

I can feel her eyes looking me over and I suppress the urge not to let a cocky smirk fall onto my face. "Are you going to stare at me all night?" I question, turning my head to look at her. She looks a bit startled at my suddenness but keeps her cool.

"I was just wondering if you were going to threaten me tonight, that's all," she says cautiously.

"Do you want me to? I'm not really in the mood," I say looking her in the eyes. They're a deep shade of brown, they're warm and friendly.

"I can see that. You're not as intimidating right now," she says with a small shy smile. An Abnegation smile. "What happened to the big, scary leader Eric? The one who has people shitting their pants?"

I can't help but chuckle darkly at that. "I didn't know Abnegation used swears." She rolls her eyes at me calling her an Abnegation.

"One, I am not Abnegation anymore. Two, don't avoid my question, what happened?" she asks boldly. I can't believe I'm letting her talk to me this way, but I truly do not possess the energy to make her _"shit her pants."_

"What makes you think I'd go spilling my problems to a Stiff? To an initiate who clearly has a death wish? You know I wasn't kidding when I said I'd make you hang off the chasm? I've done it before and I'll do it again," I say staring her down. She tilts her head at me before coming to sit down next to me. She sits inches away, making sure not to touch me.

"Well, you could make me hang off the chasm a hundred times and I still wont be scared of you," she says confidently. For some reason the conversation right now makes me feel like I've known her for years and this playful banter was something that happened regularly. "And I have a name. It's not Stiff, it's Jo."

"Okay. Jo, what makes you think I'd tell you my problems? I'm a Dauntless leader. You're just an initiate."

"That may be true but I'm a good listener," she shoots back. I raise an eyebrow at her. "Okay, maybe I'm not good at listening to directions."

"You think? I'll tell you what," I say and make sure she's looking at me. "If you don't tell anyone about seeing me like this, I'll spare you the chasm hang out. Can you listen to those directions?"

"I can," she says with as she gets up. "I should be leaving now, though. I want to be energized for fights tomorrow."

"Understandable."

* * *

_I'm sorry for not updating. School is so much work. I'll try to more often. _

_Hope you enjoy. Review._


	7. Chapter 7

_**Jo**_

* * *

I wake up earlier than most of the initiates for some reason and head out to take a shower. I've been in Dauntless for five days and I still prefer to shower while no one is awake, just to spare myself the embarrassment. I may put on a mask of confidence and act very dauntless, but my body is one thing that I am insecure about. Every time I shower I can't help but think about how I am tall and skinny, have legs twice as long as my torso and no curves, unlike Emma who is short, well-proportioned and shapely.

I shower quickly and quietly and get dressed just as swiftly. I walk over to Kirk and Emma's beds to wake them up and they both head to the bathroom. I head to the dining hall by myself and find our regular table. It is sort of quiet since it's still pretty early, but that'll change in about ten minutes. I decide on eating just a couple of fruit, nothing too heavy. I don't want to be sluggish during my first fight today.

I should be nervous. I should be apprehensive to inflict pain on other initiates, possibly even my friends. But I'm not. It's training, survival of the fittest. And I will survive this training, I will be dauntless.

The low chatter gets even lower when Eric enters the room. He walks confidently to his table, flashing a glance at me. I may be wrong, but I swear I seen the smallest hint of a smirk.

I don't understand him at all. Everybody says he's malicious and his words would make you think that's true but his actions speak differently. A malicious person would've been threw me off the chasm for all the times I've gotten in trouble. In my opinion, I think he wants people to be afraid of him. That's most efficient way to respect.

A few minutes later, the chatter rises back and everyone returns to normal. Kirk and Emma join the table, looking completely nervous. I guess they're not as calm as I am about the fights.

"I just don't want to have to fight one of you," Emma says worriedly to Kirk and I. "I know I'm going to have to, but I really don't want to."

"I'll try to go easy on you. No promises," Kirk jokes. Emma sends him a death glare and he back tracks, "come on, Emma. Don't worry. We won't be upset if you beat our asses. Right, Jo?

"Right," I say with a smile. She doesn't look reassured but her worry visibly decreases when Kirk put his arm around her. She seems content in his arms and I can't help but inwardly smile. Emma may not know it but Kirk definitely likes her, I can see it in the way he looks at her. I think she likes him too.

Tara, Olive and Aziz come in shortly after Kirk has reassured Emma that he'd be okay if she _"kicked his ass."_ Aziz sits on the other side of Emma and starts flirting with her. I watch as she cluelessly flirts back and Kirk just stares at his food.

"So, excited for fights today? I am!" Olive exclaims. Tara high fives her.

"I can't wait to kick ass. Especially since I get to kick ass and not get in trouble for it. How awesome is that?" Tara says, not really expecting an answer. "I know it may seem crazy but us Dauntless live for fights. The thrill is just indescribable."

"What about fighting your friends?" Emma asks, taking a break from flirting with Aziz.

"That's the best! It's all for training and if they're you're real friend, they'll understand," Olive explains. "But that doesn't mean you should viciously beat them into a pulp... that's just disturbing."

* * *

We walk into the training room and we see the other three Candors already looking at the board. They're lowly cackling and looking at Emma. I walk over to the board and see the pairings for today's fights.

1. Corey vs. Kirk

2. Emma vs. Ian

3. Jo vs. Samantha

I look back at Emma to see her reaction. Ian is the biggest of the boys here and I doubt he'll go easy on her. She looks like she's about to throw up while Kirk rubs her shoulders, whispering something to her.

I try to focus on the fact that I'm fighting Samantha but I can't. Not to sound arrogant but I'm confident that I could take her. Her small, dainty frame is no match for my athletic one. I'm more worried for Emma than myself. If we could, I'd even switch with her because the tension radiating off of her is enough to snap through three wires.

"Okay, as you know, fights are today. Let's waste no time, Corey and Kirk get up there," Christina says. Corey and Kirk take their places and get into defensive positions.

The door slams and in walks Eric, everyone staring at him. I don't know why Samantha always looks shocked every time he comes here. He comes everyday to view our morning training.

"Fight," Eric says simply, gesturing to Kirk and Corey. He takes a place standing on the outside of the ring. They get back into their defensive positions and Kirk throws the first punch.

It lands right on Corey's jaw and I see he is a little winded. I would be too, Kirk wasted no time on getting started. Kirk throws another punch at his gut but Corey blocks it and pushes Kirk on to the floor. Kirk pulls him down with him and rolls on top of him. Kirk sends one hard punch and Corey is knocked unconscious.

"Shit, I didn't mean to knock him into unconsciousness," Kirk says apologetically looking at the instructors. Christina looks at Four and gestures for him to say something.

"That's actually the rules here. Fight until the other is unable to fight anymore. In the old rules, you could concede, but now it's until you can't continue," Four says plainly. However, I can sense a hint of distaste with the last part; I guess he doesn't agree with fighting other people until they're unconscious. A guy comes from the corner, seemingly here the whole time, and escorts Corey out. He's probably taking him to the infirmary. Christina walks over to the board and circles Kirk's name, symbolizing that he won his fight.

"The Dauntless raise warriors, not little bitches. You need to be able to fight and tolerate pain," Eric says with his voice booming. I can see both Four and Christina give each other a knowing look. It is clear they both hold disdain for Eric.

"Okay, next fight, Emma and Ian." Emma walks up looking as if she could fall unconscious from just thinking about the fight. I really do want to take her place right now.

As soon as they step in the ring, Ian swoop kicks underneath her so that she falls. He allows her to get up, showing a little mercy. She gets up quickly and throws a few punches, each of which he blocks. Suddenly he goes on offense and punches her right in the nose. Blood gushes out and even I flinch. Emma lets out a soft cry but still continues to fight back. She gets in a few hard punches but in the end, Ian overpowers here and sends her into semi-unconsciousness with a kick to the side of her head. Kirk and I rush over into the ring and help her up. I hand her over to the guy from earlier and he takes her to the infirmary to join Corey. Four walks over to the board and circles Ian's name.

"Next fight. I don't have all day," Eric says seemingly bored. How could he be bored if a young girl just got beat into pulp and another boy punched into unconsciousness? I have a feeling that this is the malicious Eric everyone talks about.

I step into the ring and get into a defensive position, Samantha doing the same. She runs towards me and grabs a fistful of my hair. I let out a yelp at the unexpectedness of her move and clutch my head. She tries to throw me down, but I pull her with me. We both scramble to get up, however I am quicker. I kick her in the chest and she stumbles back. I move to punch her and she throws her arms around my neck. She squeezes, her nails digging into my skin. To say that I'm shocked is an understatement. I expected her to fight like how they demonstrated in training, not like a deranged lunatic.

I try to punch and kick her, but her grip is like iron on my neck. I finally head butt her and she falls back. I use the fact that she's off balance to push her down on the matt. I kick her in the shoulder repeatedly and send one punch to her temple. She falls unconscious and Four circles my name on the board.

"Okay, it's time for your lunch break. When we come back, we'll be training some more and fights will resume tomorrow. You're dismissed," Christina says walking out before all of us. Eric and Four stay back and talk in hushed tones.

"Let's go see how Emma's doing," Kirk says already walking in the direction of the infirmary. He doesn't even wait to see if I'm following. I guess he's really worried about Emma which is understandable, he's practically in love with her.

I follow closely behind him and we quickly make it to the infirmary. A nurse knowingly points at a room when we walk in and we go to it. Emma is laying on the bed with a bandage on her nose and a few bruises around her body. She is staring at the wall opposite of the door we walk through so she doesn't see us come in. Corey is the only one in the room being that this room is for injured initiates and the Dauntless borns' fights are scheduled for the afternoon.

"There she is, the warrior," Kirk says and Emma turns her head towards us. She attempts a smile but it looks more like a grimace. She doesn't look like she's in real physical pain, just pain to her dignity.

"I'm not a warrior. I lost the fight," she says lowly. Kirk walks over to her and grabs her hand. I feel like I'm invading a personal conversation but I feel like I shouldn't leave yet.

"You_ are_ fucking warrior, Em. Your first fight against someone who was three times your size and you managed not to get knocked out in the first two minutes. You should be ecstatic," Kirk says encouragingly. It seems to be working but she still looks disappointed in herself. I don't know why, Kirk is right. She did a very good gob for her first fight.

"Thanks for coming to see me, guys," Emma says to both of us. I nod and Kirk gives her a hug. It's starting to feel more and more personal between them so I decide to abscond now.

"Um, guys I'll see you at training later, I really need to eat something before I pass out," I say. They both nod and I scurry out of the room.

* * *

After training for the afternoon, we've been let out for dinner. Kirk and Emma walk closely together to the cafeteria with me behind them. It turns out Emma only had a swollen nose and some bruises, no serious injuries at all. We make our way to our usual table, the Dauntless born already there. Tara is sporting a black eye, Aziz has a torn lip, while Olive looks completely fine.

"Hey guys," Tara says, smiling. For someone who received a black eye, she sure is happy. "How's the fights treating you?"

"I lost my fight," Emma says quietly.

"But she was fucking fantastic. She got some great punches in and plus the dude was like three times her size," Kirk chimes in. He sends her a smile and she shyly returns it.

"That's awesome," Aziz says, breaking their moment. "I knew you'd be a fighter." He places his arm around her shoulder and pulls her into him. Kirk looks so angry as if he could break this table in half.

"Well, I'm going to go get on line. I'll bring you back some food, Emma. Wanna come, Kirk?" I ask pulling Kirk out of his tense staring at the table. I figure he may as well come with me and cool down. He mumbles a _sure_ and walks next to me.

"You like her. You like Emma, don't you?" I ask. It's funny, in Abnegation I would never be allowed to ask questions about other people's personal business. He blushes a little bit.

"What gave it away?" He asks, not even denying it. We join the line and wait for our food.

"The fact that you always make jokes and flirt with her. You never let her feel down. Oh and the fact that anytime Aziz flirts with her you look like you want to rip his face off," I explain. He chuckles at the last part.

"Well, I've liked her since we were little and when we received the same aptitude result, I liked her even more. I figured there was even more chance for us to be together," Kirk explains. "But I don't think she looks at me as more than a brother."

We start to walk out and back to the table. "I think she likes you. I know you're going to say how would an Abnegation transfer know anything about romance, but I can sense it. It's like-"

My sentence is cut off by someone bumping into me. The tray containing both Emma & I's food falls on the floor, the contents spilling out. "Watch where you're fucking going, Stiff," the Dauntless man snarls. I feel so offended and angry that it's scary.

"I am not a S_tiff_. Call me that again and I'll beat your ass, I promise," I say getting ready for a fight. My temper is most definitely getting the best of me right now. This is clearly not smart on my part because I am just an initiate and he's a fully trained member. I can feel Kirk standing frozen in shock behind me. Actually, the whole dining hall is quiet in shock until someone yells out _fight._

The whole dining hall starts chanting the word _fight_ and the Dauntless man moves into a defensive position. He's about throw a punch but someone knocks him onto the floor. _Eric._

"Enough," his voice rings out and all is quiet. "You think it's brave to pick on initiate? Let alone, a Stiff?" I can feel my face turning red. I am beyond embarrassed. I've been called a stiff twice and have been almost beaten into a pulp in a span of three minutes.

"I'm not a Stiff," I interject. With that, I leave the dining hall to spare myself anymore embarrassment.

* * *

_review or don't. hope you like this chapter._


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